Shock-absorber.



W. S. HARLEY. SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED Aumu. m5.

Patented Beb. 20,1917

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

WILLIAM S. HARLEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNt-R' TO THE HARLEY- 'DAVIDSON MOTOR CQ, 0] MILWAUKEE, WI SCO NSIN SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To alt In/mm, zu may concern lie. it known that l, \Vinmaui h. llama-1y, a citizen ot' the. United Sta es ind resident of hlilwaukee. in the county of Irlilwaukee and State of \Vise-onsin, have invented certain new and useful llllPlUVEllJQlll'S in Shock- Absorbers; and I. do herebv declare that the following a full, clear; and exact deseription thereof. 1 This invention relates to the srdriect f shock-absorbers for niotoualwl other rehicles, and the ruiniarv aim of the invention is to'produee a shocloahsorher that is of with a nature that the same. may he readily connected to an axle of the vehicle and the body of the vehicle, respectively, and which will serve to cushion the. body against rebounding or other shocks.

The invention contemplates in its general. organization a. casing that is detachable but firmly connected to'thc axle of the vehicle and contains novel rotatable parts including a cushioning spring, the rotatable parts having flexible connection with the body ehicle so that re bounding and other shocks 'occurrii'ig to the axle will not be transmitted to the body.

One simple and thoroughly practical em bodimentof the invention is shown in the accompanying. drawings wherein- Figure l is a. fragmentary rear elevation of portion of a motor vehicle equipped with the improved shock-absorber. the shockabsorber being shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional. view of the shockabsorber, taken on the line 2 2. Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the spri ng acts in oppositi on to'tlie upward moveline 3--3, Fig. 2.

The improved shock-absorber comprises a rear plate 1 having one end portion provided. with a laterally projecting coneaved flange 2 that is shaped to engage over an axle A similarly shaped clip plate 4. engages beneath the axle, and the end portions of the clip and the flange are detachahly connected to ombrace'the axle 3 by the bolts 5 and nutsfi. The described manner of attaching the shock-absorber to the axle is one that permits the shock-absorber to be quickly atiached to, or detached from. the axle, and also permits the shock-absorber to be disposed at any desired angle. relative to said axle.

A spindle 7 projects laterally from the plate 1 and has the sleeve 8 of a ratchet Patented Feb. 20.1917.

Serial No. 447.037.

wheel E loosely llliyll'ltt'l'l thereon, the outer end portion of the sleeve hein threaded. Air inelosing housing 10 has its huh l1 loosely mounted on the sleeve 8. andirictional. braking plate: 12 and 12? fast: on the sleeve hear on opposite surfaces oi the front wall ofsaid housing said braking plates 12 and 13 heingfheld ii: engagement with said wall by means of the spring washers H and 15. respectively. Clamping and lock nuts lll are momitcd on he. threaded portion of the sleeve. and a w lsher l7 and nut 18 are mounted on the outrr end oi spindle 7 for holding! the sleeve S there-on. A pawl 19 is pivoted to' the plate l anrl prevents reverse movement of the rat-:het wheel 9.

A spring -20 is'co' led about the sleeve 8 within the housing 1h, one end of the spring being fastened to the said housing, the other end of the spring being fastened to the end of. an angular braclut 21 that projects into the center convolution of the spring said bracket beingfastemd to the plate 1.

A strap-or other flexible connector 22 has one end porti n fastened to and partly wrapped around the. lower exterior portion of the housinxr 10. raid connector extending to and being fastened to a bracket 23 carried by the rear portion of the vehicle bod The. usual or any (ther preferred typeof springs 25 connect th hotly 'Z-l and axle 3.

From the. foregoing: it will be. seen that an upward movement of the. bod relative to the axle, 3 auses. onnector 22 to rotate .housing 10, such ro ary movement of the housing winding the. sprin 20 so that the ment of the body, and thattheaotary mow:- ment of the housing 10 is opposed by the braking plates 13 anl 14. During the upward movement of the body 24, pawl 19 prevents rotary mow ment of the ratchet 9, and when the spring: 20 has checked such upward movement 0: the body, the expansive force of said spri ng will cause a. reverse movementof the housing 10 and the frictional engagement oi the plates 12 and 13 with the outer wall f the housing will totats. sleeve 8, and sioh movement of the sleeve 8 v ill rotate ratchet 9.

The braking plates 12 and 13 are important features of this invention, for it will be seen. that as said plates are fast on the sleefe 8, and that ratchet 9 is held stationthe plate and a strap connection between ed to the plate forward nio've ment of housing 10, such plates vgill frictionally engage the housing and serve to retard the movement of the seine, thereby compensating for the looseness of the spring 20 when the housing starts on its forward movement. I, I .claim asmy inve1ition:-

1. A shock absor means for attachin the plate. to an axle of a spin le projecting from the a sleeve loose plates fast on the sleeve for reta rding rotary movement of the housing in one directi0n,'a spring connection between the housing'end the housing and the" body of 1 2. A s ock absorber comprising a plate, means for attaching the plate to a vehicle member, a spindle projecting from the plate, a sleeve loose 'on rying a i'atehet wheel, a houslng loose on the sleeve, apawl car'ried by'the plate and engaging-the ratchet wheel, a about the sleeve ber comprising a plate,

D spindle-andenga-gea-ble mg loose on the sleeve, frictional braking thespindle and can 1,21e,ese

last on the the housing, and a strap connection between the housing and-e vehicle member relative to the first vehicle member.

shock absorber comprising body plate, means for attaching the plate to a vehicle member, a spindle pi ojeeting from the plate, a housing including portion coacting with the said plate and a side wall portion having a hub'journaled on the spindle, friction plates splined on the with the side wall of a strap connection between the housing and sleeve and fi'lctionnlly engagingmovable.

an -tlllllllliu' wall a. second vehicle member movable relative 4 to the first member.

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand at Milwnukee, in the county of .Milwn ulcee and State of lViseonsin, in the presence of two itficsscs,

l-VILLI AM S. l [ABLE Y. \Vitnesses EDWIN F. CASPER, CRYSTAL HAYonn 

